Welcome to Wonderland
by Into The Wyld Wood
Summary: It's been years since Alice has been in Wonderland and things have been a little to sane to be normal around this place. It's up to me Libra of hearts to find Alice and bring her back to save Wonderland from distruction.
1. In which Thigs Start to go Wrong, Libra

AN: Okay new story since I totally forgot that I do have an account on here.

This is my Alice in Wonderland story that I wrote to get over my fear of the of the original. I figure if I can make sense of what's happening to a further extent I won't be afraid because I'm the one who came up with it in the first place.

R&R always appreciated.

Chapter 1: In which things start to go wrong.

Everybody knows the story of Alice in Wonderland and how she followed the white rabbit down the hole and met all sorts of illogical characters and yes this includes the ever creepy Cheshire Cat. But there are some things you really need to know, some stories that should have been told but were silenced by my way overprotective mother the queen of hearts. Yes, that's me, the only card figure not to show up in a game of whatever it is your playing. I am the princess of hearts, my name is Libra. I know, it's ironic. I was named for the constellation of balance, Libra the scales, in a world of utter chaos.

Now from what you know of my mother she is mean, un-just and cruel. Your right in those respects but this is Wonderland; things don't have to make sense, in fact if they did it wouldn't be Wonderland, it would just be well, earth. Oh yea, about that. Wonderland is earth, your earth I mean, just a bit...chaotic. Wonderland is all of earth's impossibilities, dreams and chaos contained in a single realm; things are bound to be a little crazy.

As for how Alice managed to get here, you can thank CC for that, the Cheshire Cat I mean. You see he is the shadow king of wonderland. The queen may have political power but he is the one that has the real power, he is kind of like the core of Wonderland, the most chaotic of them all, if you will. CC is the reason for all the little stupid co-incidences on your earth, you know lemmings running over cliffs and that guy who cut his ear off, what was his name? Oh yea, Van Gogh. He met CC and he couldn't stand all the 'non-sense' the cat was spouting off so he shot his ear off. CC isn't a bad guy just chaotic and a little creepy.

As to the Alice thing I still haven't figured that out completely. All I've got so far is that Alice's first trip to Wonderland was a mistake. Technically Wonderland residents can't get out because they are pieces of human chaos and the logic they encounter on earth makes them sick, but somehow everyone's favourite white rabbit, Tick-tock, managed to get out. Alice _seeing_ his was something even CC hadn't counted upon (for good reasons Wonderlanders become invisible to the human eye when they leave), Alice following him was another thing entirely and once she was here CC, being who he is, couldn't help but mess with her until she was at the non-merciful hands of my mother and it was only by pure chance coughCCcough that she got out alive.

Her second visit I'm even more confused about. You see the thing about_ objects _leaving Wonderland is that they unlike the people themselves don't deteriorate. The mirror Alice came through was definitely from my world or she wouldn't have been able to come through the way she did. For people to enter Wonderland form your side there must be a link to Wonderland close and you must have no idea what you're doing. On her second trip I got a good look at her from the palace grounds and I gotta say she's like no other human I've ever seen here. Most humans don't make it home because like Wonderlanders get sick out there you get sick in here; all of them have died, except Alice that is. She didn't even get sick. Her aura was just as chaotic as the rest of us, like she was from here in the first place. In Wonderland she wasn't out of place, but of course she was or else she would be out of place, this is Wonderland after all, nothing fits logically unless you stand back and look at the whole thing.

I was talking to the 'eight of clubs' later, after she had made it home for the second time, and from what we could tell she got here because she was bored of reality and happened to be close to the mirror and had transported herself here accidentally on purpose.

Since Alice left weirdly logical things have been seeping into Wonderland. The more logic in here the more illogic out there and that's not good for either of our worlds, and what's more no one has seen the Cheshire Cat for weeks. I don't know what's going on but everyone seems on edge. People and things are beginning to disappear and someone must find the Cheshire Cat quickly if Wonderland is to survive. I need to do something, anything. I need help, and I need it from the only mortal who I know can give it. I must find Alice.

Wonderland's fate may rest in the balance.

Libra of Hearts

AN: So yea chapter 1 is Libra's journal entry. Kinda just setting everything up. I'll update again real soon.


	2. The Plan of Madness, Libra

Chapter 2:

"You're Highness!" A voice boomed through the thick door of my bedroom. I looked up from my book with a minor look of annoyance on my face I'm sure. I stood up and brushed the solitary wrinkle from my dress and walked towards the door and pulled it open.

"You are requested in the court room for a hearing your highness!" Announced the grumpy old six of spades.

I sighed and tossed my book onto the bed. "As you say," I replied in my best stately manner. The guard turned and I followed him from the room. _There hasn't been a hearing for quite a while. _Another six or seven guards fell in around me. That was odd, usually the only escorts I ever had were when we went out to visit the outskirts of Wonderland. I hardly needed an escort in my own home. The party halted outside a pair of very tall gothic doors. A voice from inside boomed for all to hear, "Announcing her highness, Libra, princess of hearts!" The doors swung open and I walked straight into the room known and sometimes feared as Kangaroo Court. It is known by this name because of the injustice that occurs here on a regular basis. I noticed that most of the guards pealed away but one or two stayed and escorted me to the honor seat. I let my eyes take in the scene as soon as I was seated. In the accused stand was the sweeper dog. _What? This is ridicules! He can't even speak! Mom must have a good reason or be in a really bad mood. _I kept my face blank like I had been taught to do over the years. My mother began to speak again,

"Sweeper dog, will you admit that you swept away the path to the Cheshire Cat on **purpose**?" The whole court room gasped, I scoffed more to myself than the court.

The dog just whimpered and curled up on cold floor of the raised podium. For a moment I could've sworn his eyes went to mine as if he was trying to tell me something not meant for the ears of the court. Almost as if he knew more than he probably should.

In all the hearing took about forty-five minutes. The only witness called in was Madison, the Mad Hatter as you know him. By that point I wasn't listening anyways. My mind was in turmoil. Wonderland was being turned upside-down and the sweeper dog knew something, so why would he not try and prove his innocence? The trial ended with the poor dog being hauled off by the bailiffs and his sorrowful pleading eyes piercing mine. I felt my heart stop for a moment when the door slammed behind them.

"Libra, I would like a word in your confidence if you please." My mother called me over and together we entered the discussion room hidden beneath the queen's stage.

"Libra," my mother's harsh voice cut the stuffy air. "I am going to need to be frank with you. Things in Wonderland are not going at all well."

_I figured that one out already._

"The overseer of our way of life has recently disappeared, the Cheshire Cat has gone missing."

_I figured that out while your back was turned as well._

"He has never been missing for so long and I fear the worst has come to pass. I will not have you disappearing as well,

_I'm not sure I like where this is going._

"As such you will be assigned a private guard that will be with you at all times."

I smacked myself mentally. My mother was infuriating at points. How was I supposed to help wonderland if I was being tailed the whole time by ridicules guards?

Later that night I sat in the middle of my bed. I had my feet pushed together, my hands clasped over them, my leg moving up and down with impatience and my mind working at a furious pace. I had to come up with a way to get out of here before dawn, if that was possible.

I decided to recap my current situation in my head for bout the billionth time that night.

_A sentry of six guards has been assigned to escort me anywhere I wander._

_There are three posted below my window and three outside my doors._

I grabbed my pillow and nearly screamed in frustration. I stifled it and sighed in anger, if the guards heard any sort of sound they thought suspicious they would no doubt break down the door and trip over themselves trying to get in first.

_That's it!_

I got up silently and began to creep around my room gathering all the things I thought I'd need for my journey, it wasn't much, just what I could fit in my bag. Two books, one on the history of Wonderland and one on the human world, because I had no idea how far my search would take me. I grabbed my most in-formal dress, which wasn't much more than a slip, it was red, of course, and tied with a pink and black sash. It hung to my knees and the fabric was light, good for travel.

I took a deep breath full knowing if this didn't work I would be grounded into eternity. I went to the widow and cautiously looked out, yup, three guards all looking up or marching purposefully under the window. I grabbed two pillows and went to where the two French doors would swing open I placed one at my feet and the other in front of my face. I screamed like my life depended on it and just as I suspected the doors swung open at breakneck speed, or in my case break nose speed, which they would have done had it not for the pillows in front of my face and toes, regardless I was sure I as going to have a bloody nose and a burse or two at least.

They guards scrambled to right themselves and I slipped around the door and out of sight.

The castle looked different at night with the southwest moon throwing its beams through the stain glass windows causing eerie shadows on the floor and opposing walls.

Silently I crept taking stock of what was probably happening a floor above me at the moment. I needed an exit as fast as I could. Having lived in the castle all my life I knew my way around like no one else would believe, mostly because I spent my time in the library looking at books; no one would suspect that some of the books contained old plans of the castle labeling every entrance and exit concealed or not. So I headed for the closest one, in the garden. Down the hall and through the arched door I sprinted and out onto the grass. I squealed despite my need to remain silent and danced for a moment hopping up and down; I had forgotten my shoes and the grass was wet and very cold. There was a shout, not too far from me, I had to move, this was my only shot. I bolted for the north wall. It was covered in thick vines and closed flowers.

"Alright you lot, clear off!" I whispered urgently. The vines didn't move.

_Godam stubborn plants._

I pushed my hands under the vines wincing as the thorns did some damage to my hands. I began to search for the little nook in the wall I knew had to be there. My hands were scraped and scratched and bleeding when I found the nook moments later. It felt like hours and I had heard more shouts. Hastily I shoved my pinky in and pressed against the wall with my hand with all my might. It budged. Then it groaned and swung open revealing the expanse of Wonderland.

For a moment I hesitated. Wonderland was big. Even if it was my home and I its future ruler, I had never been outside the palace without at least one guard on my tail.

I hopped from foot to foot in the cold grass in deliberation. To go or not to go.

I heard a group of guards coming from behind me and bolted through the gate without a second thought into the dark expanse of wonderland.


	3. Outside, Libra

Chapter 3: Outside

I ran until my legs felt like pudding. Not the strong kind of pudding either, that soupy stuff that you didn't leave in the fridge long enough.

I tripped on a tree root and went sprawling. I, being a royal, am rather unaccustomed to physical injury and therefore pain, so I had to stifle a cry although I have seen injuries far worse than what I had, I was a little shocked that such a tiny scrape on my knee could hurt so much. I breathed deeply and thought of those who had endured worse and not but grimaced at it. I swore to myself right then and there that I was going to become not so much of a wimp on my journey. Surely when I finally found Alice she would not want to help such a weakling save a world that wasn't even hers.

However that didn't stop me from being a wimp right then so I pressed my hands over top of it and pulled them away sharply with a gasp of pain. Right, hands have salts on them. Don't rub salt and dirt into an open wound, duh! I also resolved to try and become a little wiser before I met Alice, I would not ahave her think me the fool.

I searched for something to tie around it in my bag. The only thing that came close was one of my handkerchiefs and a silk tie for my hair.

As long as I was going to be on my own I might as well rough it. I folded up the handkerchief into a wad and tied the hair tie round it to keep it in place.

I pushed myself up and tested my weight on it a bit. I hurt, but definitely not as much. I walked around a little. It was a little difficult to walk with but I got used to it. I was proud of myself for my resourcefulness.

I walked for a while following the south-western moon not really having any idea where I was going just wandering; after all this was Wonderland, something was bound to happen at some point.

The sun was just coming up when I finally collapsed, exhausted, under an oak tree. I slept soundly and dreamlessly. I should have remembered, in Wonderland there is always something watching you and if there isn't you've got the wrong dimension.

Wide green eyes not unlike tennis balls watched from the cover of the trees. The creature descended slowly with lithe spiderlike movements of its elongated limbs. Thick brown fur covered its entire body right up to a tuft of it in the end of its long snake like tail.

Its long ears twitched at a far off noise.

The Hoken, as it was called, sat staring at the girl asleep on the roots for quite some time. She seemed a little different. He swung down from his branch and crept closer so as not to wake her.

She had straight black hair and even in these circumstances she sat with her back straight and her shoulders back.

Libra Of Hearts. It had to be. It had taken her long enough to get out of the palace.

The Hoken smiled so one of its little sharp teeth was exposed. It clambered back into it's tree and picked the most rotten piece of Apra fruit it could find.

It made a satisfying splat as it landed on the girls head.

"You are going to regret that you stupid monkey!" I yelled.

I had just had the most rude awakening. I was sleeping peacefully when something seemed to feel the need to throw a piece of rotten fruit at me. I was, needless to say, more than a little pissed.

I had cast about for a moment before spotting the offender perched on a tree branch not far off looking very pleased with itself.

Normally if I had seen a Hoken I would have turned the other way and not looked back.

For a long time they have been regarded as tricksters and mean spirited. A lesser known fact about them is that they serve the Cheshire Cat. They are like his secret police, being where he himself is not welcome, which is mostly everywhere, but that never seemed to stop him; you know now that I think about it why does he use them if he's omnipotent anyways? Ah well its Wonderland, things don't have to make sense here. In fact they rarely do, and only if say, somehow the illogic was escaping.

Back to the present. A stupid animal had just lobbed a piece of fruit at me! I'm not just going to take that lying down. Well technically I'm sitting down but that's beside the point.

"I'm going to make you wish you were never born you stupid ape!"

At that it took off through the trees. _Smart choice._I turned to continue the way I had been going yesterday when suddenly and for the lack of a more eloquent and defining word, Splat. I nearly fell over with the force of the blow. I turned and saw that animal sitting a few more trees away and it was already tossing another fruit up and down playfully in its hand.

I did not escape from the palace to play piss off the princess with some stupid monkey that didn't even know where its master was. I took a deep breath; I was above this juvenile flinging of rotten fruit. _At least it's not __poo_I turned and splat. I gritted my teeth as I felt the juice dribble down my neck and into my clothes. I took a step and splat.

I faced the stupid animal and took a threatening step toward it. It didn't move; more than that it didn't fling the ready fruit. _That's strange. _I took a step to the left and had to dodge. A step to the right had the same affect. I walked towards it now more curious than interested in killing it. As soon as I got close it hoped to the next tree. It wanted me to follow it.

I shrugged, I had nothing else to go on I figured I might as well.

We traveled for most of the day. Actually I was surprised I had this kind of endurance. Finally I couldn't take it and I had to sit down. I had a stitch in my side and it hurt like nothing else just to breath. Something landed with a soft 'thunk' in front of me. It was an apra fruit. Oh for all you earthlings its kind of like a blue pear with green pokadots that tasted a bit like raspberries and pineapple. It wasn't rotten or even slightly bruised. I looked up at the tree where my furry friend sat eating his own not taking his eyes from mine. I reached forward and took a bite from it. _Pretty good._I decided.

"I hope you don't think this makes up for whipping rotten fruit at me earlier." It just smiled cheekily as if saying 'you think I'm trying to make up for it?'

I rolled my eyes feeling only a little silly.


	4. Creepy Talking Raidos, Alice

A/N: Wow sorry for not updating in so long guys, you'd never believe the czay stuff I had to do just to get back on this darn account. Ah well. I'll be switching between characters in almost every chapter so I left a P.O.V marker at the top of each chapter. Enjoy.

**Alice**

"Wow its really blowing out there," I yelled to my mom from my room upstairs.

"I know. Would you come down and help me with getting these darned shutters closed up? They keep coming open and at this rate I won't have to take a shower tonight because I'll be soaked anyways."

I jumped off my window sill and bolted to the kitchen where my mom was bravely doing battle with the shutters. I ran over and hopped up on the counter and attempted to grab the latch so as to pull them shut. However instead it snapped out of my hand and both of them caught my fingers between them. I let out a hiss of pain and the house creaked and swayed in the wind. I'm not sure why but I could swear it was laughing.

"Yea keep laughing you son of a bi-"

"Al!" my mother cut me off sharply.

I muttered darkly under my breath and was finally able to pull them shut and latch them closed with a spare nail that was sitting on the counter. The pin that closed the shutters wasn't the only thing missing from this house. It rather looked like the other owners hadn't been much for cleaning or keeping things from being broken. When the movers had come and put everything in that morning mother and I had opened the door and found the floor strewn with dust dirt and fragments of broken crockery. So she and I spent the morning sweeping the floor, opening the shutters to light in, and getting rid of the cobwebs. We spent three days after that organizing and unpacking. It had been almost a week and we were almost done, however tomorrow was Thursday and my first day of school unless I could come up with an adequate reason why I shouldn't go, and lets be reasonable who doesn't want to put off starting a new school for as long as possible?

I went over my argument as I set the table. When we sat down there was silence, sort of awkward silence as if my mother wanted to say something as well.

_Might as well catch her by surprise and maybe she won't even know what she's agreeing to. _I was about to open my mouth but she beat me to the punch.

"Alice? Do you know why I chose to move out here?"

Actually that matter had been bugging me a bit; we had lived in a cozy apartment beforehand. Why did she suddenly move all the way out to the middle of nowhere?

"No idea."

She took a deep breath and started playing with her food like a kid. That's when I knew whatever was coming was heavy stuff. She always played with her food when it was something serious.

"What is it mom?"

"Have you ever wondered why all the youngest females in our line have been named Alice?"

"Well yea but when I asked you just said it was tradition."

"And it's true," she said quickly, "but not the _whole_ truth really." She kept playing with her food.

"What is it!" I asked rather loudly. I am not a patient kind of person.

"You know what this can wait until another day," she said picking up her plate and bringing it to the counter although she hadn't taken a single bite.

"Mom!" I groaned. "Spit it out!"

"No honey I don't want you to be distracted at all on your first day tomorrow."

"But-"

"I said no!" Her tone of finality was, well, final. I let the matter drop. She seemed angry all of a sudden and I wasn't about to argue with my mother when she was angry because that was like poking an irritated grizzly bear with hot branding iron after shaving its fur off.

I retreated to my room which I rather liked. It was a round room, slightly Victorian looking it even had its own fire place.

When I had gotten in there was an old radio sitting on the mantel piece along with an old doll in the form of a queen dressed mostly in red, a sword with a blue ribbon wrapped around it's hilt, an envelope with some seriously stale crackers and mushrooms in it, and a fragment of broken mirror. So the old occupant had been a druggie weirdo; great. I tried the radio earlier and it hadn't worked; figures, it was probably a hundred years old.

I splayed on my bed wishing for my laptop so I could email some of my old friends. A flash of lightning startled me. Suddenly the radio sparked to life, it was crackly but still understandable and I got up quickly and listened.

"_and waves of mysterious weather patterns continue to batter the world. We have reports of snow in Rwanda and the blazing heat continues to melt age old glaciers in the heart of Greenland."_

I tried to adjust the channel to get a better signal when suddenly I lost the signal altogether but instead of silence I heard something else on the crackle.

_Seek the balance in chaos. Seek the chaos among the madness. __Seek the one_ _King and his cohort and restore them to the throne or madness will ensue._

I stared at it and reached for the dial but it changed on its own. It was flicking through the stations really fast and I tried to listen to each one but it was gone again in a moment. Finally my mind clicked into place and all the stations blurred together. Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice.

"Okay I'm going to have to faint now." With that I fell over onto the floor.

The radio stopped playing and shut off but not before another signal was put through.

"And so it begins."

For some reason the air seemed to be smiling and had Alice been awake she would have most surely been creeped out because there was no way in heck the air should be smiling that hugely.

I woke the next morning with a killer headache. I stumbled about in the dark for a moment before flicking on the light.

Instantly I laid eyes on the radio. I could almost hear it chanting still. I shook my head furiously. It had to have been just a dream, a crazy dream.

I shook my head once more slowly clearing it of the nights stupor and went to my window and flung it open. It was a bright and sunny morning with no trace of the storm left except for the damp ground. I took a deep breath. School, right; that was today.

Well hiding only delays the inevitable so I grabbed a pair of faded jeans with paint stains on the front of them and a dark blue t-shirt. One look in the mirror told me that anything other than a ponytail was entirely impossible today so I sighed and pulled my blond hair back into a messy ponytail. Hair, messy. Makeup, nonexistent. Clothes, borderline frumpy. Perfect. Please note the sarcasm.

I didn't think I could hold down much breakfast but I grabbed some toast because my mom would complain if she found out I skipped breakfast. I was out the door faster that a bare foot jack rabbit on a hot greasy pan being chased by- well you get the idea. I grabbed my bike and left in what I hopped was the general direction of the school.

Blue Moon High was where I was, hopefully, headed. I finally hit the main road into town and relaxed a little, the bumpiness of the country road was starting to make my butt go numb. I passed a whole bunch of middle schoolers and stopped and asked for directions. I thanked them and went on my way.

I found it with only one wrong turn and near death experience to my name. This was actually going better than I expected.

Then I found the school. _Damn Karma. _I'm not sure why I envisioned a school, like my old one absolutely crawling with people, by the way. This place was small-ish and looked a little old-fashioned but well kept up.

The problem with a small school in a small town is that everybody knows each other and that leaves a person like me very few places to hide from prying the eyes I would no doubt come across today.

I made my way hastily across the front lawn not making eye contact with anyone staring at mostly my shoes and the grass in front of my shoes.

You know when your parents tell you to keep your head up and to watch where your going when you were a kid? Head their warnings, it will keep you from running into people the first day at a new school. I however did not head this warning and ran smack into someone with black converse and pink and purple laces.

I went sprawling to the ground while letting loose with a string of profanities my mother would have normally grounded me for.

"Nice butchering of the English language there Shakespeare."

I pushed myself up and laid eyes on the face of the pink and purple laces. He was tall and lithe. Something about him made me instantly think cat. I'm not sure what it was but it could have been the slightly slanted eyes or the way I could just see him having fangs when he smiled like he meant it. His hair was brown and sort of unruly looking with a streak of pinkish purple in the front.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not necessarily enjoying. More like a train wreak, its horrible but you can't look away sort of thing." I fired back. I regretted it instantly because his demur changed instantly from mocking humor to death glare. _Boy, if looks could kill. _

"Sorry," I apologized immediately. "My mouth and my brain run on different frequencies."

He kind of sneered. "I assume you're new. Everyone else around here already knows to watch it."

"Hey, look dude as far as I'm concerned we're square, I apologized."

"Caine!" Some other kids called from across the court yard. I took advantage of the moment while he was distracted and walked rather fast up the steps and into the school.

I got my schedule from the helpful secretary and she offered to call a student to help show mw around. I politely declined telling her I would be fine on my own. After all how hard could it be to read a map. I rather prided myself with my map reading skills. In fact if those middle schoolers on the way here had drawn a map I wouldn't have even taken that one wrong turn. In fact I was so wrapped up in my own thought that I didn't see the hands until it was too late.

I pushed her up against the lockers and asked "Did you honestly think you were going to get off that easily?"

"Yes." It was kind of funny I almost felt like smiling. Instead I laughed hoping she picked up the malice and would be afraid.

"Are you always this naïve?" I asked

"I prefer blindly optimistic," she replied.

Her quick answers annoyed me again. "You keep talking with disrespect and I'll make sure you never look at life the same way again."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I could see her lips tightening with resolve.

She was actually kind of pretty now that I got a good look at her. Blond hair as messy as it was looked good on her. Her eyes opened. They were a perfect clear blue. She must have been popular with the boys where she came from.

She was waiting for me to say something, better not disappoint the lady. "Good, now keep it zipped and listen up good. I have never hit a girl before because that's low. Don't give me a good reason to lower myself. I'm going to let you off with a warning this time because your new and obviously you already have enough things to worry about. Give me one good reason to change my mind about letting you off and I promise you'll regret it until the day you die. Am I clear?"

She just nodded her head. Good little puppet.

"So wanna tell me your name?" I asked. It was more like an order than a question really.

"I'm Alice. Alice Carol"

"Well Alice you'd better not hope to see me around."

"Right-e-o Capitan am I dismissed?"

She was such a smart ass. I leaned right up close to her pretty little face. Her eyes widened like a dear in the headlights of an oncoming truck. I smiled a bit, she was scared, surprised or something in between. I placed my lips almost against her ear and whispered, "Dismissed." I leaned back and watched the effect. She blinked a couple of times and ducked out from under my arms and headed off quickly down the hall.

I leaned easily against the lockers and ran my hand through my hair. So she was an Alice. I let a smile come to my face as I walked out of the school to join my friends.

I hurried in the direction of my first class, Science. It was on the second floor. Once I was up a level I relaxed a bit. Wow that guy had been scary.

I certainly wasn't in any hurry to talk to him again. Still something about him was definitely familiar in an eerie dejavo-ey sort of way. I walked into the classroom, picked a desk, and went to sleep because lets face it I hadn't gotten much the night before what with all the crazy dreams I had.

I forgot to mention the crazy dreams with the smiling radio and the strange prophecy repeated over and over. Whoops.

In any case I still had a while before the bell rang so I laid my head on the desk fully intending to simply rest my eyes when the next thing I knew the bell had rung and the classroom was invaded by other students.

"Why hello there, you seem to be in my seat."

I stiffened. Crap.

I got up without a word, not even looking at him. I marched over to my teacher Ms. Laundman. "Excuse me but I'm new here my name is Alice Carol."

"Ah yes, so nice to meet you. Please have a seat in front of Mr. Arawan," she said indicating the seat in front of the one in which I had currently been sleeping.

I sat down and I could already feel his eyes boring holes in the back of my head.

_I will not look back. I will not say anything. I will completely ignore him. _

The lesson started shortly and I found out they had been doing optics. I wasn't particularly good at science but light was easy enough to understand. We copied a note and that she talked and that was just about it.

Near the end of the lesson she came over to my desk. "Alice I'm going to need you to get yesterdays note from some one, it has some very important subject matter you'll need to go over."

"Yes miss."

She walked away and _he _poked me at the back of the head. I didn't turn around, I didn't say anything. He did it again, "Hey girl."

Poke, "Alice!"

I finally turned around and glared at him. "Good I was beginning to think you were deaf or nerve dead." He pushed a piece of paper at me. It was yesterdays note judging by the date.

"You have creepy hand writing." I said, my mouth auto piloting again. It was all spidery and thin. He stared at me. "Sorry, just making an observation, meant no offence."

He just scoffed and got up and left.


	5. The Diray of a Sane Man, Alice

**ALICE**

It turns out I had Cain in a lot of my classes. In fact six out of eight.

I walked out at the end of the day thoroughly exhausted and started fiddling with the lock on my bike.

An arm encircled my shoulders and a voice whispered in my ear. "So what's the deal? Are you stalking me or something?"

I jumped a foot in the air and then scowled at him, "fat chance, I've got better things to do than stalk an egotistical moron!" I instantly clapped my hand over my mouth; he didn't look pleased.

I spun and pulled the chain of my lock away and not even bothering to wrap it up I got on a peddled out of there as fast as I could with him shouting behind me.

I peddled home fast without stopping for breath. By the time I got there the sky had clouded over again and it was pouring and I was soaked.

I pulled my bike up under the awning and went inside. I tossed my wet things on the floor beside the door. I went into the kitchen calling for my mom. I was going to have to transfer schools already.

There was a note tacked to the fridge.

'Honey, gone out grocery shopping and to the hardware store, we have some repairs to make. I'll be back a little late I think. Dinner is in the fridge. I should be home by 9. Love you.

I snatched it off the board cursing my misfortune.

I went and locked the front door, pulled a box from the group in the corner and sat on the couch with the TV on and the box at my feet. I figured I might as well unpack some stuff. I didn't have any homework and what would be the use I would be dead tomorrow anyways.

I looked over the boxes and realized that we had forgotten to label the boxes so I pulled it open and told myself I would simply close it if it was my mom's.

My mom is kind of strange. She keeps a lot of secrets from me. She wont tell me what happened to dad or why we moved or what all the eldest females in the family were named Alice. She'd been doing it since I was born so I'm kind of used to it. I don't ask questions and she tells me no lies. In truth yesterday when she almost told me about the naming girls Alice thing it was the closest thing she had ever even tried to tell me about the weirdness in our lives.

It was my mom's but I couldn't close it for some reason. I guess the first reason was the book sitting on top of everything.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol.

That book had always been a sort of taboo subject in our house. I had wondered why but not brought it up. I guess even subconsciously I knew it had something to do with the name thing and that had always creeped me out a bit so I tended not to think to much about it.

However I was curious. Why did my mother have a copy of the 'forbidden book'? I had never seen it in her room or anywhere and it was an old copy. The pages were worn with age and had a few tears in them. I gently leafed through the book wondering how long it would take her to notice it was gone and if that would give me enough time to read it.

I don't know why I never really considered picking it up before but until now it had never really presented itself.

Something under the book caught my eye, another old book. This one appeared to be a leather bound journal. I picked it up delicately but a page still came looses and fluttered onto my lap. I was just going to put it back when two words jumped off the page at me.

Lewis Carol.

I held the page in my shaking hands. This was the diary of Lewis Carol.

The thunder cracked across the sky outside and I jumped badly dropping both the book and the diary. The diary's pages scattered and I scrambled to retrieve them.

I cursed under my breath. Mom was going to kill me.

I sealed the box again and pushed it back into the corner. I retrieved Alice's adventures in Wonderland and put it onto the table and then went about trying to find all the dates on the pages and get them back in order.

I couldn't help it. I was so curious I picked up the earliest one I could find and began reading.

It was only a medical journal for the first bit. Apparently he had worked in a sanitarium. I started just putting them back in order again when I saw another name that alarmed me. Alice.

I picked up the page with shaking hands and began to read again.

**October 13, 1984**

I received a new patient today. Alice Ameson. Her family had her committed because she rambles all day about a strange place she calls wonderland and all of it's inhabitants. I thought it was a straight forward case of dementia but apparently it has happened before. She spent months rambling about it but everyone just thought she was being a child and playing pretend and eventually she quieted down but then it came back stronger than ever later when she was older and ought to know better and she was more adamant this time, they tell me. She spent her days looking for rabbit holes and in the attic where there was an old mirror that had been given to them as a present from somebody.

I make my first visit tomorrow, and I must admit while feeling guilty in myself, I cannot wait, the stories people always tell are so interesting.

**October 14, 1984**

I spoke with Alice today and I'm rather shocked. I have never seen such a deep case of whatever it is she has. I'm not entirely sure it is dementia anymore and I can't begin to fathom what it might be.

She tells stories so vivid and detailed I had to keep reminding myself she was not sane.

Today she told me the beginning. She was out on the lawn with her sister and a white rabbit suddenly appeared to her. The strange thing was he was wearing a tailcoat, spectacles and carried a pocket watch. She followed the rabbit with her cat Dhina down it's hole and landed in a strange room.

Then her eyes closed tight and she started murmuring to herself and crying a bit. She would tell me no more today. I was saddened by this.

Only here will I admit I'm a tad attracted to her. She is a very pretty young lady.

**October 20, 1984**

I'm sorry I haven't written lately but Alice is keeping me quite busy. She is a strange girl. She can answer normal questions and be normal but this place, this wonderland, is deeply a part of her now. I've stopped trying to convince her it's not real because I myself am starting to believe it is. I've even started taking notes on her stories.

I wonder if I should stop seeing her for a while, at least until I can get my roots in the ground again.

**October 25, 1984**

I switched patients but it seems to no avail because Alice will not stop crying except when I come to visit her whereupon she cheers instantly and asks me how my day was so far. She is rather like a child in this aspect.

Although I must admit that I am quite fond of her as well and am greatly cheered that she will take no one else in my place. However I now find my other work a tad dull and I think about her more and more often.

I don't know whether to further distance myself and cause us both more unpleasantness or just go back and risk becoming unstable myself.

**October 31, 1984**

The doctor let me have Alice back with no complaints what so ever. In fact he seemed glad to be rid of her.

She seemed as glad to have me back as I was to have her so I'll let my nerves rest a while.

I've taken to taking notes again and sometimes she draws me pictures when I ask for clarification. Today she drew the one she calls the Cheshire Cat, doing so seemed to make her nervous but she pressed on with a brave face. I was proud of her.

She thanked me for listening to her today. Somehow this made me feel all was well and I was on cloud nine the rest of the day. I know I shouldn't be feeling such things but somehow I cannot help it and I again wonder if my being with her is the best thing for both of us.

**October 31, 1984**

It is near midnight and I fear I will have no sleep tonight. Alice will not wake up and she is running a terrible fever. I am sick with terror as I sit beside her bed. What if she does not wake up?

I relent I have fallen in love I believe.

She is muttering in her sleep now. The red queen, the red queen. Stop your going to fast!

I'm going to hold her hand for a while.

She has almost finished telling me her story of the first time she visited Wonderland and I am fascinated with the story. I think I may fine tune it a bit and write it as an actual book.

My first concern is Alice.

**November 1, 1984**

Alice's fever broke finally this morning. She woke shortly after and smiled at me.

Before I could even comprehend my actions I was holding her close. I was more than relieved.

Her first words to me were 'I knew you wouldn't leave.' I was so touched.

I don't know what she thinks of me yet and she is still my patient and so I'll keep my feelings to myself for now.

I took her out and around the garden today but she seemed afraid and clung to my arm.

I told her she seemed so and asked her why but she just shook her head and then told me 'Its' nothing you have to worry about.'

It concerns me that she said 'nothing _you _have to worry about.' I wonder if she realizes to some extent that she is crazy and only she is at risk from her own mind.

I digress I wish I knew her mind better myself.

**November 2, 1984**

Alice woke screaming and crying out late last night and I hurried to her to see what was the matter.

She was babbling hysterically about her family and some sort of shadow monster.

I tried to assure her it was only a dream but she kept crying and saying over and over, 'it's all my fault, it's all my fault, they're gone.'

I was slightly alarmed by this so I had a nurse go over to her house and check that everything was alright.

At the time I told myself it was to reassure Alice but in reality I think it was to reassure myself.

I'll write again when the nurse returns. For now I am to confused.

**November 6, 1984**

A lot of things have happened and with so much strange drama going on I must confess I forgot to write.

The nurse came back quite disturbed and asked if I had given the right address. I told her yes and she told me the door and all the windows were open but there was not a living sole in the house. She said the only thing she found out of the ordinary was a strange little box with a blue ribbon around it.

I took the box and dismissed her. Alice who had been sitting quietly in the corner jumped up and snatched the box from me when I made to open it.

She was shuddering violently and crying as she held it.

She pointed to the ribbon, 'This was Dhina's'. I realized she was going to pieces just in time to catch her as she fell.

I asked her what of the box and she said it was his idea of a joke.

I asked who _he_ was but she couldn't tell me.

The very next day she was so depressed. She would not even tell me any of the story or talk about much of anything. So I was depressed.

She came into my room that night.

I'll not go into details about her visit, not even here, my actions are too shameful. I love her, I confessed this to her. I was jubilant when she reciprocated these feelings.

Two days later I presented my case to the judge that she was cured and she did a test to prove it and she was able to be discharged but with no family to be returned to and no relatives speaking up I volunteered to take her.

I've lived in the asylum for a while and I thought it was time I'd a house of my own.

Since there was no one there the house legally belonged to Alice now.

I take her up today.

**November 6, 1984**

She seems sad but happy at the same time. She has agreed to let me stay here with her and for this I am grateful.

I asked her to show me where she had seen the white rabbit and she looked bewildered and asked 'So you believe me?'

I told her to some extent I did believe some aspects of her story. She smiled and hugged me and I am once again so glad that I don't have as firm a grip on reality as I'd prior to meeting her.

She showed me the tree and sat down against it just like she had when she was a little girl. I could see this put her at a sort of sad ease. To be where it had all begun.

When she was finished showing me the grounds she took me all over the house and up to her room

It's nice if not a little strangely built.

It's round and the hearth is nice and wide and with no heating in the place I can see this would come in handy on a cold night.

I dropped the page and froze. Mom had said something about this place having no central heating system and that's why my room had a fireplace. My room was round.

The doll in my room had been in the figure of a red queen.

There had been a piece of mirror on the mantle as well.

There was something way weird going on here. Again that strange message from the first night here fought it's way into my head.

'Seek the balance in chaos. Seek the chaos among the madness. Seek the one King and his cohort and restore them to the throne or madness will ensue.'

I put the pages back in order and put them away in the book and put both the book and the diary back into the box and did my best to forget about it.


	6. Storms and Smiling Cats, Alice

**ALICE**

The next morning I woke with a crick in my neck and a major headache. I had fallen asleep on the couch, oh sorry did I say asleep? I meant tossed and turned for most of the night waiting for my mom.

She still wasn't home. Or she had left already.

There was another note of the table.

Hey honey, told you not to wait up. Breakfast is in the fridge.

I love you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.

I'm not sure what it was but something about the wording in her note made me really nervous and jumpy. She didn't say were she was or where she went or when she would be back..

My mother was a bit scatterbrained so a non descript note was noting to be overly worried about but for some reason I felt a little panicky.

I got dressed and pulled a brush through my hair. At least that was working for me today. I grabbed a headband and slid it in.

I sighed and headed out the door.

On the way too school I desperately reviewed what little I knew of self defense.

I had only been in one fight before and I, erm, wasn't on the winning side. I did however leave a nice scar on the girls forehead.

All to soon I was faced with the horror of the school yard.

I spotted him quickly. He seemed to be absorbed talking to some other girl so I was safe for the moment.

I chained up my bike fast and kept my heads down as I nearly ran inside the school. He couldn't try to start anything in the middle of class. It was only after school I had to worry about him.

My first class he came in and I stiffened up so much you could have laid me across a river and called me a bridge.

He sat down behind me and whispered, "You seem rather tense. Any particular reason?"

I didn't answer. He chuckled and sat back as the rest of the students filled into the room and the teacher shortly after. The lesson droned on and on but I couldn't seem to keep myself in the present. I kept drifting off to Lewis Carol's diary and Alice.

The bell shocked me out of my paralyses and I scooped up my stuff fast and walked fast out of the classroom.

Not fast enough.

He caught up with me taking long strides and his arm fell around my shoulders. I didn't dare shake it off.

"Alice didn't I warn you yesterday about mouthing off to me?"

I nodded shortly.

"So now all that's left to do is pick the consequence." He seemed to take even more pleasure in my apparent discomfort. "We'll settle for something that wont harm your pretty little face this time. You are going to be my partner for our English project." Oh yea out teacher Miss.Tressa had assigned us a project for the weekend and we could do it in partners or alone. "If we don't get at least a ninety percent I'll cream you; clear?"

"Yes sir," I said quietly. "Anything else I can do for you today?"

"Why yes now that you mention it." I mentally smacked myself for asking. "We should hang out tonight seeing as how were such good friends and all. We'll get started on the project tonight at your house."

"What? I don't think I can- the house is a mess and- and- and I really don't think that's a good idea," I sputtered.

"What?" He asked quietly in my ear, "You nervous about having a _boy_ over?"

"I'm nervous about my mom's reaction."

"Well I'm sure you'll deal with it. Have a good day, I'll be over shortly after school."

He was gone and I headed into my classroom with what felt like a permanent blush stamped across my face.

After school, I hurried out to my bike and unlocked it so fast you'd think I was on some kind of speed.

It started raining when I was halfway home and I was drenched by the time I made it up the front step. There was thunder and lightning overhead and I grinned a little to myself. Maybe if it was bad enough he wouldn't show up.

No such luck. I had just finished piling the last of the still packed boxes orderly in one corner when there was a knock at the door. I glanced at the clock, it read four. My mom still wasn't home and there was no sign of her anywhere.

I opened the door and Caine strode in, he was wet too.

I couldn't help laughing a little. He glared at me and I quickly hid my smile. I ran to the bathroom and brought him a towel.

He accepted it without a word and set his bag on the ground. It moved.

I blinked in surprise as a tan and darker tan striped cat slinked out of the bag. He looked up at me, his eyes were as unnaturally green as Cain's were.

"That's Trouble." He said referring to the cat.

"His name or an adjective describing him?" I said and kneeled and reached my hand out slowly.

"Both; careful he bites almost everyone."

But Trouble didn't bite me. He sat and regarded me for a while with his eyes practically boring holes in mine and then he snickered. It was actually more of a little horse cough but I could tell. He then proceeded to wrap himself about my legs.

"He seems to be fine with you." Cain said in a sort of tone that I couldn't tell what his implications were.

The next hour consisted of him asking some questions and us going over the assignment. Trouble sat across the room regarding us the whole time and I could feel myself lean unconsciously away from his penetrating gaze, he was still smiling.

A big crack of thunder rolled overhead and the lights went off. I jumped and I felt Cain's hand on my arm.

I got up, "Stay here, I'm going to get some candles." I told him and felt my way into the kitchen and opened the drawer where my mom had put them. I pulled two out and then realized I had no idea where the matches were.

"Need a light?" Canin's voice came from beside me and I stumbled backwards in surprise. He grabbed my arm but I was already halfway to the ground and all that did was pull him down on top of me.

He was laughing! I could see his face dimly above me and far too close for comfort. "Geeze Alice if you wanted me that badly you should have just said so."

"What!? Me? You're the one that scared the crap out of me and then didn't know well enough to just let me fall on my own butt and as fo-"

He pressed a finger to my lips to stop the flow of words. "Listen, do you hear that?"

I strained my ears into the darkness, all I could hear was the wind. "No, now get off me!"

"Shhhh." He insisted. "I can hear something outside."

He pulled me to my feet then pulled a lighter out of his pocket and held it to the candle wicks. They caught and filled the kitchen with shadows.

"Is the front door locked?" He asked quietly.

"No, it might not even be closed properly. Look it's probably just my mom coming home."

"There were no headlights." I realized he was right, my heart sped up a little.

"Then it's Trouble messing around close to the door." He just rolled his eyes and pointed over my shoulder. Trouble was sitting on the countertop smiling hugely at both of us. There was no denying it, his mouth was stretched up almost to the bottoms of his eyes. I could see two little fangs poking out.

"Hmmm, that actually looks creepy. He never smiles this big." Caine shrugged it off. "I'm going to go lock the door and see if I can see what's out there. Stay here and be quite."

He took one candle and strode to the other room. I leaned back against the counter. I felt the eyes on me and I knew I never shouldn't have looked but I did. I looked beside me. Trouble's body still faced straight ahead but his head was turned ninety degrees looking directly at me. In the candle light his strips took on a strange glow, almost pink, or purple. Then he gave a little chuckle.

That was all I could take so I grabbed my candle and ran into the front room. Caine was looking out the front window.


	7. The Hall of Beginnings, Libra

**LIBRA**

The only reason I was able to sleep that first night on my own was due to the fact I had never been that exhausted in my entire life.

The next morning was much the same as the first, a lot of stumbling and blindly following.

It was getting dark when something finally changed. He slowed down and dropped to the ground and got very near me waving me on with his little claws. The trees were growing thicker on all sides now. A path was emerging.

It was very dark now and the trees were so thick on either side it was like a solid wall. No wait! It was a solid wall! I whipped around a solid wall of trees greeted me.

Ahead of me was only a dark tunnel. It was then I realized my guide had disappeared.

I started to panic. I was trapped. That stupid little creature had lead me into a tunnel that I couldn't get out of.

The panic adrenalin sharpened everything and gave me a burst of energy and I sprinted off down the tunnel not thinking just feeling desperation. I had to get to the end.

There! I could see a pin prick of light up ahead! Tiny as it was it gave me hope.

I reached it and realized it was a keyhole. I felt around for a knob but there was none to be found. _That's odd._

My heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be.

I pressed my eye to the keyhole. I couldn't see very much but it appeared to be a large room.

I drew away with a gasp. It was the hall of beginnings.

This was a legend even among wonderlanders! It was said that this was the place that Wonderland had begun, the place the Cheshire cat was born.

The only mortal to ever come through here and live was Alice. Now it was going to be my way out………If I could find a way into the room.

The light was making my eyes water and I blinked.

"Ah! Don't do that! I'm going to….ah-ah-AH"

I backed away, not far enough. "CHOO!" I was sent hurdling through the now open door onto a very hard floor.

I got up quickly and looked around. It was a square room with a black and white checkered floor and a piano in one corner. There was also a table with a drink on it. I knew better than to drink it.

The way I had come was through a large door that seemed to be scowling slightly at me.

"Oh no not another one," It groaned.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, who else has come through here?"

"Nobody," it answered.

"Oh my mistake, _what_ else has come through here?" The key was all in asking the right questions, and of course depending on if they feel like telling you.

"Well since I was installed, a boy, an old man, a girl, and something else."

"Describe the 'something else' if you please."

"A shadow without anything attached." The door said simply. "It was most frightening, it made the room all wrong and I presume you've only come to make it worse."

"I would never do that I promise."

"But it won't stop _me_," there was a whispery light voice coming from behind me and it made my stomach all queasy and the room spin and I hadn't even see it yet.

"OH GOOD CHAOS IT'S STILL HERE! GET OUT!" The door started freaking out and shaking the whole place.

I spun around to see it and the door had been right, it was a lot like a shadow with nothing to cast it. The only thing that set it apart was the fact that it was standing upright.

My eyes widened and I could feel my pulse quicken to panic mode. I don't know why but it was so clearly dangerous, there was not a lot that could freak out a door that had been here since the beginning of Wonderland.

Behind me the door started wailing and the wind picked up, it pulled me off my feet and there was nothing to hold on to. The shadow didn't seem to be affected but it grabbed my arm giving me a nice long gash and ripping up my sleeve." I cried out as I was swept upwards and everything went dark. Everything was upside down in a moment; gravity seemed to switch directions and although there was no more wind I was falling up at an alarming pace.

Furniture floated all around me but I couldn't seem to catch hold of any and my arm was throbbing and I could feel the warm sticky blood dripping off my fingertips into the darkness below.

I was starting to lose consciousness when I finally saw a speck of light above me and my assent, (or was it decent?) slowly decreased.

Suddenly I was above ground. I had fallen out a hole and gravity resumed its natural pull and I fell to the ground, on top of my arm. That hurt pretty badly and I screamed.

Wherever I was now it was raining pretty hard. There was thunder and lightning to.

Wait a moment. My mind took a moment to catch up. I had just fallen up out of the entrance to Wonderland. Did that mean? I was on earth.

I instantly felt queasy and tried to stand up grabbing my forehead with my damaged arm. Bad move, that hurt real bad, and I cried again. I was so dizzy everything was spinning. I emptied my stomach in a bush.

I could see the outline of a house up ahead. Maybe someone there could help me.

I began staggering towards it.


	8. Wonderland or Death, Alice

A/N: Wow that took long enough. Thanks for the reviews guys. It shouldn't take me too long to put up another chapter but I have a bunch of projects that are getting close to due so it may abe a week or so. Thanks again.

**Alice**

Caine was right, there was something out there. Whatever it was it wasn't very big and it wasn't moving in a straight line either.

I realized what it was before Caine, "Oh my god! It's a kid!" I yelled and bolted to the door and out into the rain.

She saw me coming and her eyes widened in surprise. "Alice!" She fell to the ground. I had never seen this kid before in my life and she was pretty weird. She had straight black hair and had on a weird red dress and no shoes. She looked pretty messed up and her arm was in bad shape. There was no way she could be any more than twelve or thirteen.

Caine had followed me and scooped her up and we took her back in the house.

Caine laid her on the couch. Her eyes fluttered and she reached for her head with her less hurt arm. I sat beside her and put my hand to her head. She was so very cold.

"I'll call the hospital, keep her calm." Caine went to my kitchen where the phone was.

"It's okay sweetie your safe now," I said gently stroking her head.

She groaned, "For now we are."

Caine came back into the room with a sour expression on his face, "The phones are down, we'll have to take her to the hospital, come on my truck is out front."

"No time, no time! We are already so very late!" The girl started freaking out. She pushed me away and kept trying to sit up. She grabbed my hand, "Alice I came all this way, I need your help, CC is gone and people are gone!"

"Woh slow down sweetie, now can you tell me where you come from? What's your name? What's your phone number so I can call your mom."

"Fat chance; what do you mean call her? I'm not sure she would hear you from here, but I've never been here so I don't know."

She was making no sense, "Do you have a name?"

"Libra. I'm the princess of hearts and I've come all the way here to get you. I need your help in a bad way."

"How do you know me? I've never seen you in my life! Where did you come from?"

She looked at me a little stunned. "Wonderland of course, I'd think you of all people would know a Wonderlander when you saw one."

"Wonderland? Uh sweetie your very cold right now, you're a little sick why don't you lie back."

"We don't have time! Don't you understand? CC has gone missing, no one has seen him for months! I came because I thought you could help me!" She was angry. "Gee fat lot of good you're going to do me! Do you even remember Wonderland? You were maybe my age when you were there last?"

"Alice? What is she talking about?" Caine was looking over my shoulder holding Trouble. Libra's eyes widened and she got up fast and snatched Trouble from Caine.

"CC is that you?!" She yelled. "My chaos, you're a cat! An earth cat no less! Can you still disappear? Oh that doesn't matter at all! CC Wonderland is going to pieces without you! What happened! Why are you here! Wait, how are you here? If you were gone for that long you would have faded by now!"

She continued babbling away at Trouble.

Caine leaned over to me, "She is nuts."

"You're not kidding." Libra said. "We're all mad here."

My mind was in turmoil, this girl was claiming that Wonderland existed. I had read Lewis Carol's diary. My mind refused to even examine the possibility that I wasn't the one who had been to Wonderland and that maybe she had confused me with my ancestor.

"Libra," I started cautiously, "Can you sit down for a moment? Before we talk anymore I want to get that arm bound up if you please."

"Sure," she sat down and stroked Trouble.

I hurried and got some gauze and antiseptic from the bathroom cupboard.

"How do you feel?" I asked her and I set out the stuff on the table.

"Really sick to my stomach but I think it's all to do with my being here in the first place. See we're not supposed to leave Wonderland and if we do somehow manage to get out we start to fade, we die; but only if you're here for a while. Same thing happens in Wonderland, those who aren't like us get sick and die. Well that's what happens unless you can find a rare human with a chaotic aura to bond with." She paused a moment and smacked herself in the head, "Of Course! CC bonded with this kid!" She pointed at Caine, "That's why he hasn't faded!" She turned her attention back to Trouble, "Good thinking!"

I wetted a cloth with antiseptic and pressed it to her cut, "YEOUCH!" She jumped. "What the logic was that for?"

"To clean your cut." I said. I looked at the cut itself now that it was clean. It was a set of three claw marks pretty deep and strange. The skin around the edges of them was transparent. I wrapped it up and put the metal bone on it to hold it in place.

I straightened up. "Caine, I think you had better take Trouble and go home."

"And leave you here with the crazy girl? Not on your life!"

"You can't take CC! I have to bring him home!" She protested.

"Wonderland isn't real!" I finally snapped at her, "You are crazy!"

She looked a little shocked but said carefully, "I know I'm mad, I came from Wonderland, we're all mad." She seemed a little angry at having to reiterate what she'd said earlier.

"You can't have come from Wonderland, if doesn't exist!" I yelled.

"Yes it does! You were there! How can you not remember?"

"I've never been to Wonderland I just look like the girl who has! I have the same name! She died a long time ago! I'M NOT HER!" The roof was shaking when I finished.

"She's dead? How could she be? It's only been a few years." Libra seemed to be pondering this to herself. I went to my mother's box and pulled the lid open roughly. I grabbed the weathered copy of Alice in Wonderland and shoved it under her nose. She took it with much curiosity.

"Wow she must have not liked Madison much; he looks like a complete weirdo here." Libra flipped through the book to the pictures.

"Who?" Caine went to look over her shoulder.

"Oh right, I guess you guys call him the mad hatter but his name is Madison. He doesn't like people to know that though," she giggled.

"Right." Caine leaned over towards me as Libra went off on a tangent, "We should maybe get a rope or a sweater to tie her up with. I'll give you my keys and you can get the truck started."

I glared at him, "No, you will go home," I marched over to Libra and yanked Trouble out of her lap and handed him to Caine, "You will take him, and you will forget all about this."

"No, no, no, NO! You have to help me! I came all this way and it might already be too late!" Her red brown eyes were all watery while she was looking up at me.

"Look Libra I'm sorry I have no idea whether you're crazy or I'm crazy or we're both a little over the deep end but-"

"Your name, what is it?" She cut me off.

"Alice, I told you that already didn't I?"

"Your last name."

"Carol."

"The guy who wrote the book." It was a statement not a query.

"Look it's probably just some sort of coincidence-"

"No such thing." Her voice was final. "There is no such this as coincidence it's all just Wonderland logic, you've only to look at it from an angle you can't comprehend."

"Well then how do I understand your logic if I can't see how you're going about finding it?"

"Logic doesn't exist in Wonderland there is nothing to _get_ it won't make any sense no matter how you look at it, heck two plus two equals fish but only on Tuesdays in April. I haven't even figured out how that one works yet, and I won't because Wonderland isn't sense, it's _non-_sense. In this way it makes no sense to us in any case so all you can really do is hang the sense and embrace the fact you could be walking upside down." She finished her rant and I was awestruck.

Something had clicked in my head and suddenly what she was saying made sense in a way that I still had no idea what she was talking about.

She saw that we were more or less on the same chaotic wavelength and she broke into an odd grin not unlike the one still affixed to Trouble's face.

Caine seemed to sense the odd charge that had sparked between us at that moment and laid a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Alice, I'll say it one last time, she is crazy."

I smiled for some reason, "I know."

Suddenly the wind began to howl outside. It battered at the windows and I heard the storm reach a whole new pitch. It seemed as if it was trying to rip the house open.

"Alice," Caine's voice was edgy, "I don't like this, something feels very wrong." Trouble was no longer smiling. His lip had curled over and he was emitting a low rumble from deep inside his chest.

Libra grabbed her arm all of a sudden and started screaming, "It Hurts! It Hurts! Alice Help!"

I grabbed her arm and tore the cloth off and saw her wound was boiling around the edges, becoming dark purple with a sickly undertone of green.

"Hang in there hun, I'm going to go get some more antibiotics."

"Honestly Alice I don't think we have time for that, this house is going to come down any minute!" Caine yelled. As if on cue the house swayed and I heard a snapping from upstairs, the roof was giving way.

"I'll be right back!" I yelled and dashed upstairs to my room. I grabbed a backpack and stuffed in whatever my gut instinct told me to, this included the bit of mirror the red doll and the envelope.

I made it to the bathroom cupboard and took out the gauze and was reaching for the other bottles when I heard Caine shout from downstairs.

I abandoned my task and ran towards the stairs stopping short at my room. I dashed in and grabbed the sword off the mantle as well in an afterthought.

The backpack on my shoulders and sword in hand I bolted down the stairs and not a moment too soon. I heard the roof fall in behind me.

I reached them and saw Libra still clutching her arm sobbing with pain. Caine and Trouble were standing at the door. Caine had an umbrella in his hand and was beating at something on the floor occasionally. Trouble was hissing and spitting and digging his claws deep into whatever it was as well. I saw a shadow crawl underneath the door like a snake and Caine hit it with the umbrella. I stepped forward pressing the hilt into his hand.

"This might do a little better." I said. Next I ran to my mother's box and began ripping through it.

I grabbed Lewis Carol's Diary and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Under that I found something else. A strange little ornate box. On a whim I grabbed it as well.

The whole house swayed at that moment and Caine retreated from the door with Trouble. It creaked and swayed and I could hear the walls coming apart and the timbers cracking.

Canie ran over grabbing Libra on the way and crushed us all together in his vice grip and pulled us under the door frame and pulled us down low.

"Everybody hang on!" He ordered. Then the most horrible sawing and breaking sound of all came. It drowned out Libra's crying and the screaming of the storm.

I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face against Caine. Everything was coming down around us pieces of timber and pipe fell not two feet away from us.

Wood fell into our midst and buried us.

Then the screaming of the storm consumed our ears again and I opened my eyes.

We all got up but I had to help Libra stand. Caine stood protectively the sword held tight in his white knuckled hands.

Trouble was still spiting and in the dark torrents rain I could make out something behind us.

"Caine behind you!"

He whipped around and the shape became more solid. It looked like a teaming mass of filth and shadow. It oozed and I felt my stomach turn.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Libra announced. She turned away for a moment retching.

"What is that thing?" Caine asked.

The rain poured down but it was not enough to wash the monster away.

Libra grabbed my arm. "That's the thing that got me in the hall of beginnings, or at least _part_ of it. So Alice it's now or never. Wonderland or death."

I was convinced. I grabbed Caine's arm and Libra scooped Trouble with her good arm and she pulled us all into the night.


	9. Yelling Contest, Libra

I pulled them along in the dark rain and back to where I thought I'd come up.

I found the tree just fine but I felt around the base for the hole but nothing was there. I felt the panic rise in me for a moment.

"Libra? What's going on?" Alice had knelt beside me.

She was really weird but I liked her almost from the moment I saw her, I knew I could trust her. The missing rabbit hole however was not good.

"I can't find the way I came through."

"The rabbit hole?"

"Yea- Oh! CC can you help us out?"

CC just stared at me. I could see the answer. No. He could do next to nothing as long as he was on earth. There had to be something, some way to get back before the shadow caught up with us. My arm was still burning and I unconsciously reached over to cover it.

Alice put her bag down and began to search the ground with me as well.

The boy Caine kept his eyes fixed on the dark mass that was creeping forward ever slowly and steadily.

All of a sudden CC sprang on Alice's pack and pawed it open, he then sat on the ground and in the gloom I could just see a piece of a mirror floating out of the pack to hang in mid air between CC and Caine.

I could tell almost at once what mirror that had once been part of. Γη αντιστροφή καθρέφτη. For all those of you who don't speak ancient Greek, that's Earth Reversal Mirror.

It was through this mirror the original Alice had come through to Wonderland the second time.

Okay technically the mirror didn't take her to the Wonderland she'd been to before but a part of Wonderland that can't be reached from within Wonderland. I've never been there myself but stories always manage to percolate through the barriers.

The mirror shard spun and I saw the boy staring fixedly at it. His eyes were glowing and so were CCs.

I could see the concentration of Caine and CCs faces. Then I felt the familiar rush of reality being disturbed and finally broken. The mirror shard made a horrible noise as it expanded into a gate.

"You guys, I have no idea what I'm doing but I think if we're going to get away from whatever that thing is you should get through there before I figure it out."

"No complaints here!" I got up and dove through the door.

I felt the sweet return of nonsense to the world around me. Then I felt myself toppling over and my hands hitting the ground hard. The jolt in my wrist as rather painful but I sat up and moved it around and it wasn't too bad.

My arm had almost stopped burning all together now and I looked at the gash which was now only a faded line that looked pretty bruised.

I got up and brushed my skirts off and looked around. They sure were taking a long time. I wondered what they were doing, how long did it take to get up the courage to leap into some chaotic dimension through a glowing portal-you know what I'm going to stop talking now.

Alice's POV

On the other side of the portal I watched Libra's feet disappear into Wonderland presumably.

"Alice hurry up!" Caine yelled.

"I don't know if I can-"

"Alice! Move!" he roared.

"What if I'm scared?" I yelled back.

I was. I could feel the panic, cold and gripping in the pit of my stomach. I felt sick and I knew this was the only way but it didn't stop the fear.

The creature was coming faster now and I was still paralyzed.

Trouble or CC or whatever he was, was obviously finished waiting for me and sprang through the portal. I saw as if in slow motion the portal begin to close. Caine ran at me in a blur, grabbed me around the middle and plunged through the portal.

Libra's POV

They crashed to the ground; Caine holding onto her firmly.

He got up and brushed himself off but she could only sit up I could see she was a little weak from shock or something. Maybe her body was just adjusting to the sudden change in logic.

"What were you thinking?!" Caine was exploding. "I told you to move and you stand there like a deer in the headlights! You were scared?! What the hell is wrong with you? There was a giant monster intent on killing us and you were more afraid of this?! What was going through your stupid head?"

Alice looked as if she was close to tears but did nothing; she sat and took all of his battement. This was neither like the Alice I had seen before or the one I had met who had been so strong.

I was angry. She did not deserve this. I squared my shoulders and began with a voice straight from my mother. "Look buddy I don't know who you think you are but you will not talk to _any_ lady like that in my presence!"

He was stunned a moment but recovered himself. "She stood there! She was-"

"She was terrified understandably!" I thundered back. "It took a whole lot of courage for her to believe me in the first place! Heck you thought I was crazy and she realized the truth and didn't lose her head! She is human all the way through and it's unnatural for her to even come close to Wonderland and now she's here by herself! I didn't see you running up into a collapsing house to get me help! No you stayed where you were and listened!"

"That was just stupid!"

"It doesn't matter! This girl has shown more courage and more honor than you will probably ever know and you will speak to her with respect!" I was finished.

I went over to Alice and took her arm as she stared into space dumbfounded. I pulled her gently to her feet and tried to support her weight even though I was quite a bit shorter than her.

I faced CC who wasn't quite scowling but definitely not smiling. "Sorry you had to hear that CC and I mean no disrespect but your Cohort is a jerk."

Suddenly Alice was alert, "What did you say?"  
"I called him a jerk."

"I know but that word you used, you called him CC's Cohort." She looked a little excited.

"Yea that's what we call counterparts here; joined spirits," I clarified for her.

"Seek the one King and his cohort." She trailed off. Then a smile split her face and she went to CC and made a small bow. Then she went over to Canine and hugged him. "I'm sorry I was a coward and thank you for saving my life."

I wished I had the court painter with us. I would have given half the kingdom for a copy of his facial expression. He was a pink as his hair!

"You welcome but somehow I get the feeling that won't be the last time I have to save your sorry hide," he muttered. "Okay enough hugging!" She let go.

She sat on her knees again. She was having a hard time standing up I noticed. Her foot sat an odd way as she sat.

Her face was all seriousness."Well I've got some interesting news for all of you. The first night I moved into my house there was an old radio on my mantle and I tried to make it work but all that came out was this wired voice. It said _'_Seek the balance in chaos. Seek the chaos among the madness. Seek the one King and his cohort and restore them to the throne or madness will ensue.' I believe you may have 

had something to do with that CC." He was smiling hugely now. "I also believe that now that you're back in your 'kingdom' you can drop the act."

He snickered, "Clever girl clever girl, a scaredy cat you are not but neither and not a scaredy lion." As he spoke the stripes on his coat changed colour, looping in a spiral all the way down his body. He went from two shades of tan to the pink and purple I was used to and I cried out in relief and hugged him.

"Good to see you as well small heart." He greeted me and as I stepped back I heard Alice and Caine both gasp a little. I looked at CC and rolled my eyes. He had been back for five minuets and already he was freaking people out.

Namely by making all but his head disappear. "I'd say the same to you but that would be a lie," I mocked him lightly.

He snickered again and reappeared.

"Both apologies and thanks are due where due is unaware."

One look at Alice and Caine's faces told me I'd better explain.

"He speaks in rhymes and riddles. He's saying that we all owe each other both apologies and thanks even if we don't know it and so we should just forget about it and be on our way."

He came forward to walk at Caine's heels and Caine picked him up and CC happily sprawled around his shoulders like some living scarf.

"Okay so we've found the one king and his cohort now where would the throne we have to put them on be?" Alice asked.

"Well I'm just going to take a wild guess and say the throne back in the palace." I said with a shrug. It made sense after all. The palace was one of the first things that appeared in Wonderland after it's creation.

I guess in hind sight I guess that really should have tipped me off.


End file.
